UW-Madison Go Big Read: James
Presented in partnership with Go Big Read.
When Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he runs away until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck has faked his own death to escape his violent father. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive and unreliable promise of the Free States and beyond.
Brimming with the electrifying humor and lacerating observations that have made Everett a literary icon, this brilliant and tender novel radically illuminates Jim’s agency, intelligence, and compassion as never before. James is destined to be a major publishing event and a cornerstone of twenty-first century American literature.
Percival Everett
Percival Everett has established himself as one of the most inventive and incisive writers in contemporary American literature. Hailed as a "literary icon" (Oprah Daily), he has written more than thirty books—including novels, poetry, and short story collections—which have won numerous prizes and international accolades. A thought-provoking speaker, Everett lectures on the power of literature to change the way we see the world and the unique influences that inspire us to create art.